Travelife Sustainability System:

Brazil Ecotravel has recently join Travelife! Founded in 2007, the Travelife Sustainability System is an initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable practices within the travel and tourism industry. The Travelife initiative is based on the central role of tour operators and travel agents in the tourism supply chain. Their unique position between suppliers and buyers enables them to influence consumer demand, procurement policies and the development of destinations. This allows them to contribute significantly to sustainable development and environmental and cultural protection in destinations. Travelife aims to offer companies the knowledge, solutions and tools to implement positive change within their businesses and their supply chain.

Brazil Ecotravel is currently in the process of implementing the sustainability system and aims to be among the first operators in Brazil to be Travelife Certified. Our Action plans will be published in the page shortly! Stay Tuned.

Sustainability Criteria

To ensure that our tour operations have a positive impact on the destinations, Brazil Ecotravel works hard to adhere to a specific set of Sustainable Tourism Principles. Our mission is to promote environmentally responsible travel and help the efforts to the conservation in Brazil, ensuring that our natural resources and local communities benefit now and in the future.

Considering Sustainable Tourism as a relatively new concept in the tourism industry, we support the a specific set of environmental code of ethics as a guideline to help explain and demonstrate the concepts behind sustainable tourism and to inform tourists of ways in which they can travel responsibly.

Guidelines

1. Tourism should be culturally sensitive.

Visitors should be given the opportunity to enjoy and learn from Brazil’s mix of cultures. Tourism should serve as a bridge between cultures, allowing people to interact and enrich their understanding of how other people live. Tours should be designed to provide participation in and enhance appreciation of local cultural traditions.

2. Tourism should be a positive influence on local communities.

Tourism and tour operators should make every reasonable effort to allow communities near natural areas to benefit from tourism. By hiring local guides, patronizing locally owned restaurants and lodges, and buying local handicrafts, tourists can help convince residents that wild and historical places are worth saving.

4. Waste should be disposed of properly.

Service providers should set a good example for visitors by making sure that all garbage is confined to the proper receptacles. Boats and buses must have trash cans. Special care should be taken with plastic that is not biodegradable. No littering of any kind should be tolerated. When possible, travelers should use returnable or reusable containers.

5. Wildlife and natural habitats must not be needlessly disturbed.

Visitors should stay on the trails, remain within designated areas, and not collect anything (except litter). Some ecosystems, such as coral reefs and caves, are particularly sensitive, and special care should be taken to avoid damaging them. Visitors should keep their distance from wildlife so it is not compelled to take flight. Animal courtship, nesting, or feeding of young must not be interrupted. Birds and their nests should be observed from a safe distance through binoculars. Nesting sea turtles should be observed only with the assistance of a trained guide. Photographers should keep their distance: foliage should not be removed from around nests, and animals should not be disturbed for the sake of a picture. Monkeys and other wild animals should not be fed because this alters their diet and behavior.

6. There must be no commerce in wildlife, wildlife products, native plants, or archeological artifacts.

Strict international laws prohibit the purchase or transport of endangered wildlife and archeological artifacts. Tourists should not buy or collect ANY wildlife, and should make sure that the natural products they wish to purchase are commercially grown. Wood crafts generally constitute a viable economic option for local artisans, and tourists should encourage local production from sustainable timber sources.

7. Tourists should leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of nature, conservation, and the environment.

Visits to parks, preserves, archeological sites, and recreational areas should be led by experienced, well-trained, and responsible naturalists and guides. Guides should be able to provide proper supervision of the visitors; prevent disturbances to the area; answer questions of the visitors regarding flora and fauna, history and culture; and describe the conservation issues relevant to the area.

Companies offering “ecotourism” must show even greater concern for the natural areas visited, involving tourists in conservation efforts. Tour operators should collaborate with conservation organizations and government agencies to find ways to improve Brazil’s environmental programs. Visitors should be made aware of Brazil’s great achievements as well the problems. The best tour operators will find ways for interested tourists to voce their support of conservation programs: by writing letters of support, planting a tree, contributing money, volunteering to work in a park, or other creative outlets for concerned activism.